Public Statements

Pay Check Fairness Act

Floor Speech

The Paycheck Fairness Act deserves attention, and it deserves attention now. We passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act very quickly because it was essential. It shows that this House can work together when it wants to. We kept the courthouse doors open for recourse for pay discrimination. More has to be done to prevent that discrimination from happening in the first place.

My mother worked split shifts when we were growing up. My father worked sometimes two jobs, but his income was limited. Every dollar my mother brought home was critical to our family and to our household, and that's true in so many households across this country today.

A household's bills don't go down by $10,000 just because a woman is treated unfairly and paid less. The clothing bills don't go down; the gas bills don't go down; the food bills don't go down. So it's important that we get this bill moving at this point in time.

The Paycheck Fairness Act reasserts the principle that women should get equal pay for equal work. It holds employers accountable if they discriminate. It puts an end to pay secrecy so women will be able to determine whether or not they are getting treated fairly. And it prohibits retaliation for someone who wants to talk about paycheck fairness.

This bill is important for families across this country. It deserves attention. I urge my colleagues to take it up now and pass it.